Asus shows off Windows, Android, and experiments with Taichi

Asus Transformer AiO

Rumours suggesting Asus would be announcing a dual-OS computer were dead on the money at Computex this week, but that’s not all the company is talking about, showcasing one laptop that has two screens built into the lid.

It was hinted right before Taiwan’s annual computer and electronics fair opened, and it looks confirmed, with Asus showcasing the Transformer AiO, also known as the “all-in-one” machine.

Sort of a bridge between desktop and laptop, the Transformer AiO features an 18.4 inch multitouch LED backlit display that can be detached from a base station, allowing it to be either a desktop computer or a portable tablet computer. This bridged device will even run both Android and Windows 8, offering both at-home stability in a desktop environment and Google’s mobile friendly operating system.

Asus is also taking its Transformer line and giving it a bit more “oomph,” making the Transformer Book, the world’s first convertible notebook that can detach the screen in the same way the Asus Transformer Prime and Transformer Pad can.

Under the hood, there’s far more horsepower than an Nvidia Tegra, with a third-generation Intel Core processor with Ivy Bridge, choices of solid state and hard drive storage, and up to 4GB RAM.

Windows 8 is expected to be the operating system of choice here, giving Asus its first official Ultrabook Touch.

Similar to the Transformer Book are two other Asus tablets being showcased, the 810 and the 600.

Asus Tablet 600

Both take on the feel of models in the Asus Transformer series – with tablets that connect to keyboard docking sections – but seem like the lighter cousin of the Transformer Book, featuring less RAM, less storage, a less power hungry processor, but yet are complimented with Super IPS+ displays and Windows.

The Tablet 810 features an Intel Atom processor, 2GB RAM, 64GB storage, and an 11.6 inch display with Wacom digitiser support. Meanwhile, the Asus Tablet 600 offers up the Ncidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor we’ve seen on the other Asus Transformers from 2012, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage, and a 10.1 inch display.

One other notebook got our attention out of the models the company is announcing, with the balanced Asus Taichi, a notebook that features a double-sided LED-backlit Full HD display on the lid.

Asus Taichi

One of the more unusual notebook concepts, the Taichi offers up a touchscreen LCD on the outside of the notebook screen lid, a place normally dominated by the brand name and chassis material. When the laptop is closed, the Taichi is a touchscreen tablet, and when it has been opened – like a regular notebook – it’s a proper notebook, with a screen and keyboard in the regular places.

Asus has plans to release this in both 11.6 and 13.3 inch sizes, offering an interesting compromise for people unsure if they want a tablet or a notebook.

Sadly, Asus hasn’t made mention of prices or availability locally, so we’ll just have to keep you updated.